Jang
"Respect for truth comes close to being the basis for all morality. This is profound thinking if you understand how unstable truth can be.” -Jang History The daughter and only child of Emperor Merbol of the Final Empire, Jang grew up as the heir to the mightiest nation on earth. Her closest companion was her illegitimate half-sister, Sharra, for the two grew up close, placing great trust in one another. When Monopoly and the Lords came to power, Sharra and Jang were spirited away to the future, eventually settling in a small mining town under the watchful eye of Doctor Curtin. The two lived a false life, and Sharra, lacking the arcane protection afforded to a true royal, fell under Lord Alpha's mind slavery. Jang herself, a full-blooded member of the royal family, kept her mind free and learned to hide in the shadows. The two sisters would be swept into Jotunheim's Rebellion upon the arrival of Tolumvire and his allies, who would liberate the town and name it Arendur. Jang would attach herself to Jamkast Wolfswift, a Queensguard from Guilddon. Wolfswift was a close comrade of Tolumvire, and he honored the old monarchy. He would keep her safe. When Tolumvire learned of her parentage and status as the Final Empire's true heir, he made an offer to her - become a pawn in his plans, a pawn he would make a queen. Jang accepted, stating that she knew her role and her fate. Tolumvire was thrilled to have gotten his hands on a figurehead for his rebellion, and began to cast around for a potential husband who could be made a legitimate candidate for Emperor. In her heart of hearts, Jang knew that Tolumvire, in his boundless ambition and possessiveness, would never give her up. When the time came, he would return to her. Jang stayed by Tolumvire's side throughout the duration of Jotunheim's Rebellion, keeping a quiet profile and keeping pace with the strongest warriors. After the rebellion, she and Sharra settled down in Arendur, eager to live out the childhood that had been robbed from them. In particular, Jang had none of the duties that Sharra had as Tolumvire's apprentice. She let loose, roaming the city freely, once terrifying the city's authorities by disappearing, falling in and out of marriage, and becoming addicted to a powerful drug that brought deathly calm. This behavior went on until Tolumvire finally caught the sisters in the company of an wanted aronist. He upbraided them, prompting contrite obedience in Jang and bold defiance from Sharra. After Tolumvire's exile following the Arendur-Ragnarok War, Jang took her life more seriously, serving a tour of duty in the Arendurian Army, and displaying a calculating, self-serving side to her personality. When Tolumvire returned from exile, he sought Jang out, proposing marriage to her, so that he might become Emperor in truth. Jang had always expected this, and was pleased and flattered. She accepted, and for one day, Tolumvire's promise - to restore her to her rightful throne - was fulfilled. When Tolumvire was deposed by Bolgar of Ragnarok, she lost her crown, and agreed with Tolumvire that divorce was the best course of action. She left Arendur, becoming an adventurer. Tolumvire would continue to look out for her, often keeping her in telepathic contact and doing what he could to ensure her safety. His continued attention made her uncomfortable, but she would not refuse his help when offered. Along with Faldor and a cleric from Ragnarok, she would accompany Tolumvire to the castle of Xiloxi Drutreu, where she would witness her sister's corruption first hand. Tolumvire would find her later, wandering near the city of Oranor in a state of delirium and euphoria. Alongside Toranna, she would pay witness to the destruction of Oranor at Tolumvire's command, and was callously left behind before the ruins of her only home. Having lost all the those she loved, and all purpose in her life, she disappeared. It was assumed that without help, she would likely proverbially "drink herself to death" - and help was not forthcoming. Personality A survivor. Jang lacked her half-sister Sharra's innocent optimism, and endured unbearable burdens with a clear mind. That she lasted as long as she did before breaking was remarkable in itself. Jang knew the practical realities of her world, and her place in the grand schemes of love and war. She was dedicated to reclaiming her lost throne, at one point telling Tolumvire that she would be willing to be a "pawn he could make queen". She was self-reliant, only truly trusting Sharra. Behind the facade of the quiet and obedient princess was a self-possessed and secretive young woman who charted her own course. Her greatest leap of faith was to put her trust in Tolumvire of Arendur, and his promise to restore her to the throne. Though he thought of many possible husbands for her, such as Kai the Honorable or Bolgar of Ragnarok, she knew that his ambition and possessiveness would drive him to marry her himself. She seemed to have been waiting for him to make this choice, and was pleased and flattered when he did. When Sharra was captured and corrupted by Xiloxi Drutreu, and Tolumvire descended into madness, she lost the two people dearest to her. Already gripped by a powerful addiction to a drug that brought deathly calm, she was one of four witnesses to the final destruction of Arendur - along with Tolumvire, Toranna, and Perduke. This betrayal of all she had ever understood finally broke her, leaving her as hollow as a corpse. Wandering and adrift, Jang would be found by Francis Forester, and brought to Forester's Town. There, she would briefly find herself at the center of a heated debate over the future of the Empire of Arendur. Forester had been named as Tolumvire's successor, the Lord of Arendur, and there were some, namely among the Forester Town Rangers, who thought that Forester should claim his title. Others, mostly among surviving military officers, were adamant that the delirious and inconsolable Jang was the rightful Empress of Arendur, and should be elevated as a symbol of national unit. Eventually, a compromise plan was floated, in which Forester would divorce his wife Madeline and marry Jang, crowning himself Emperor of Arendur and declaring Forester's Town the capital of a new empire. Forester furiously quashed the plan, dismissing the notion as ridiculous. Arendur was gone. He was the lord of nothing. There would be no more foolish schemes. Jang was unwell, in no shape to rule anything, and in danger from those who might seek to use her as a pawn. Forester managed to get into contact with the Illuminated, and asked them to convey Jang to the city of Ragnarok, she she would live in safe, comfortable exile. Grand Master Jotunheim agreed, and posted the Master of the Word, Voidwatcher, to watch over her. War of the Philosopher-Kings Around the end of the war, Jang would slip away from Ragnarok, forcing Voidwatcher to embark on another search for her. Jang would wander aimlessly into the ruins of Aglazdere, where she would be fortunately intercepted by agents loyal to the Black Rose. They would bring her back to Varas, grant her sanctuary, and disguise her as a performer. Gin, the leader of the Black Rose, would notify Padishah Finley MacClellan of her presence. Though the Padishah would grow intrigued by the possibility of using her the lost princess as a pawn - either as a bargaining chip or a political marriage - Gin would make it clear in no uncertain terms that this was out of the question. Under Gin's tutelage, Jang would become a skilled performer; a dancer, knife juggler, escape artist, and ventriloquist. In time, she would even grow to gain a new and stable identity for herself. Upon the invasion of Aglazdere by the Empire of Shangare, Gin would rally the most militant members of the Black Rose in defense of the city of Varas. He would command the others to follow Jang into exile and make a new home for themselves. The new leader of the troupe, Jang would adopt Rose's mask for herself, allowing Gin to die as himself and ensuring the immortality of the company's founder. Jang would bring the Black Rose to the Shangarian city of Kozhama. Securing the Lord's solemn vow of sanctuary, the Black Rose would resume their operations as a theatre company once more. Category:Monarchs Category:Arendur Category:Shield Campaign Category:Final Empire